1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a latch system for an enclosure, and in particular, to a latch system reversibly mountable to the inside of a door.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Latch systems for enclosure doors are well known and take on a variety of configurations. Although latching systems in the prior art may work well for their intended use, they do not provide multiple mounting configurations and actuation flexibility for conveniently using with different enclosures.
Enclosures in factory environments and other industrial settings generally require the enclosure be sealed to prevent the entry into the enclosure of water, harmful fluids, dust, to prevent against accidents, and to prevent unauthorized usage. Latching systems used with such enclosures either must be sealed or the utility of the enclosure is decreased. Often times, an additional housing or elaborate sealing system is needed to enclose portions of the latch system to reduce entry of unwanted substances.
In addition, the latch systems of the prior art generally require a specific handle for actuating the latch system. It can be appreciated that under various conditions of use, various types of handles may be required depending on the harshness of the operating environment, the security needs, the accessibility, and the level of protection required for the elements inside the enclosure.
An example of a prior art latching system is shown in German Patent No. G 93 05 893.4. Although this latch system provides a latching system mounted on the interior of the door, it requires an intermediate rack member mounted on the exterior of the door to engage the actuator handle. In addition, the complicated latch handle and gear mechanism mounted on the exterior of the door make providing a sealed interior environment more difficult.
It can be seen, then, that a new and improved locking system for an enclosure is needed which utilizes components which provide for latching when a door is opened to either the left or the right. In addition, such a latch system should allow for either clockwise or counterclockwise rotation of a handle for actuating the system. In addition to the direction of the handle, the type of handle which may be used should also be variable with the system, as well as the level of security and the type of locking system and should be mounted to the exterior of the door. In addition to providing flexibility afforded by these options, the flexibility of the latching system should provide for changing the various features of the latching system during the life of the enclosure, rather than just prior to installation. The present invention addresses these as well as other problems associated with enclosure latching systems.